Chronicles of the Kid Capture Brigade
by Mikauzoran
Summary: A humorous series of scenes chronicling the adventures of the Kid Capture Brigade, the detective club that Aoko forms at the end of the anime. Brave Leader: Aoko, Investigative Specialist: Hakuba, Sultry Temptress: Akako, and Comic Relief/Illusion Analyst: Kaito. Now with plot: Akako and Hakuba team up with Kaito to find Pandora and save Tokyo!
1. Graph

Mikau: Thanks so much for checking this out! This is going to be a fun little series. The first four chapters will be short, five sentence fics, but chapter five and six will be longer. Special guest Conan in chapter five. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies throughout. I own only my imagination…and every volume of DC and MK in Japanese, but that doesn't entitle me to much.

…

Graph

"Your y axis is a little…" Hakuba started but then thought better of it because how in the world could he tell Nakamori Aoko that her variables didn't seem to have any sort of correlation at all?

He couldn't…because she was very adamant about this Kid Capture Brigade idea of hers, and she was completely certain that as they all increased in dressing in matching outfits, their number of Kids captured would go up.

"That's not how you use a line graph," Kaito finally pointed out in Saguru's stead, helpfully adding, "You're just as dumb as your father."

Akako quickly intervened before things got out of hand and their meeting disintegrated into one of Aoko and Kaito's classroom spectacles: "He's just grouchy because he can't see through Kid's illusions, Nakamori-san; your graph is spectacular…very…artistic and…colorful."

"We're never gonna capture Kid-sama at this rate," Kaito yawned, to which Hakuba was sorely tempted to add, "Because he sits in on our secret meetings and is thus privy to our strategies!"


	2. Kitchen

Mikau: Hello again! Thank you so much for reading! I'm honestly thrilled that so many of you liked it. Thanks a bunch to reviewers Kameo1, Claude le noctambule, patternleap, ninja dragon16, Kimmiko T, Csigabiga, neonquincy1217, KaitoPhantom1412, and bn! So…this series might have accidentally gotten a plot. Chapter five is special guest Conan, seven is the onsen trip, and in eight they go get gadgets from the Professor. In nine, Hakuba, Kaito, and Akako might just team up and steal something. -.-; Look forward to that.

…

Chapter Two: Kitchen

"This is ridiculous," Kaito grumbled, sulkily pulling the third batch of chocolate fudge brownies out of the oven and then griping a little louder so that Aoko in the living room could hear him, "This is _ridiculous_!"

"We have to raise money for Kid Capture Brigade activities somehow," Hakuba sighed with a shrug, looking absolutely ridiculous in Aoko's frilly pink apron as he put icing and sprinkles on the strawberry cupcakes.

"To hell with this bake sale; you're rich, so why don't _you_ just fund our Brigade activities?" Kaito hissed, finally getting fed up enough to tear off his own pink apron, wad it up, and throw it to the floor as he began to march out of the kitchen.

Akako cut him off, giving him that serpentine glare of hers as she growled softly yet venomously, "I don't want to do this any more than you do, but, I swear, if you upset Nakamori-san with your petulance, I will turn you into a chocolate chip muffin loaf and EAT you, so get back in that kitchen and bake!"

Not wanting to think about the very real possibility of her making good on her threat and not wanting to dwell on mental images of her _eating_ him, Kaito did an about-face and went back to the madeleines even as Hakuba snickered.


	3. Badge

Mikau: Hello all! Welcome back! After receiving some suggestions, I have revised the timeline…yet again…to include the Brigade at a heist and maybe some special guests like Nakamori-keibu, Sera, and the Shounen Tanteidan. Thanks a bunch to reviewers skdc8595, Kameo1, KaitoPhantom1412, Claude le noctambule, Shiho Carnadine, Miss Emotion (times two), ninja dragon16, and Lady Rosencrantz! If you have any suggestions/requests, just let me know.

…

Chapter Three: Badge

"The other day, I was talking to my friend slash brother in arms in the fight against Kid, Conan-kun, and he was telling me about how his Tanteidan have detective badges, so I was thinking that our Kid Capture Brigade should get some made too; Jii-chan can make them for us!" Aoko chattered cheerily, hardly stopping to take a breath amid her unbridled enthusiasm.

Kaito opened his mouth to share a snarky remark, but the insult died on his lips as Akako and Hakuba glared at him.

"We can be like spies with our intercoms and our cool laser pointers and flashlights, and we can put listening devices and voice recorders in them—and an x-ray vision button!" Aoko went on excitedly.

"What are we, like seven years old?" Kaito whispered to his compatriots as their brave leader extolled the virtues of these badges that Jii-chan was supposedly going to make for them.

"Shh!" Akako and Hakuba hissed in unison, even though they were both thinking more or less the same thing.


	4. Boutique

Mikau: Hiya, guys! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Claude le noctambule, KaitoPhantom1412, Lady Rosencrantz, patternleap (times two), ninja dragon16, 908-03, and Kimmiko T! Next chapter is the long-awaited, full-length Special Guest Conan chapter. Also, check out the KCB thread in the Fanfic Library section on the Poirot Café forum for lovely pictures of the Brigade Uniform by kakashikrazy256 and faliara.

…

Chapter Four: Boutique

"She's really serious about the outfits, isn't she?" Kaito sighed in resignation, slinging an arm around the nearest mannequin stuck modeling one of the cosplay boutique's…strange designs.

Saguru nodded gravely, trying not to see…well, anything and everything in that God-awful shop, really.

"I'm not going to be able to seduce anything in this," Akako grumbled, examining the hideous fabric and crinkling up her nose.

Just then, Aoko came prancing out in her Kid Capture Brigade uniform singing, "What do you guys think?!"

"I'm looking forward to casual Fridays," Kaito reported.


	5. Special Guest Conan

Mikau: Hi everybody! Sorry the update is late. Busy week, busy weekend. This chapter starts the longer chapters. I really hope you enjoy it! Thanks a bunch to everyone who reviewed last chapter: Kameo1, Lady Rosencrantz, Claude le noctambule, ninja dragon16, Kimmiko T, and woot!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, there would be more cuddling in this series. I feel like a lot of the characters really just need a good cuddle.

…

Chapter Five: Special Guest Conan

"Do you believe in presentiments, Kuroba-kun?" Akako whispered in his ear like a snake's hiss, and it sent icy chills down Kaito's neck.

"No," Kaito replied flatly, trying to concentrate on the newsfeed on his phone. "Why? Did Lucifer tell you that some big, bad boogieman is out to get Kid again? 'Cause I'm not the Kaitou Kid, in case you forgot, Akako."

"No," she replied aloofly, trying to feign indifference to whatever wretched fate was coming for the guy she…didn't quite hate. More than anything, she wanted to make him her slave, force him to submit to her will. There was no other motive behind her protective streak towards him. She didn't love him, of that she was certain. I mean…she couldn't.

Akako pushed her thoughts aside brusquely, straightening up and letting her hair brush his forearm as she did so.

Kaito shivered once more in the middle of that sticky June day.

"I just had a bad feeling about today," she concluded in a distant voice as she took her customary seat at the bar of the Blue Parrot.

The little bell at the top of the door rang, and Hakuba Saguru was the next one to come in, shaking off his umbrella and setting it in the rack with the others. He came straight up to Kaito and remarked, "Kuroba, I have a bad feeling about today. Maybe you should go home early. Fake a cold; I'll come up with some lie to tell Aoko-kun."

Kaito looked away from his phone and sent both the detective and the witch a deadpan stare.

A crack of thunder boomed in the distance.

"Seriously? Are you two coordinating to try to prank me or something?"

The blonde and the redhead shared a glance of "Do you know what he's talking about?" But then the detective got caught up in the witch's fly zapper-like eyes and looked away before he fell completely under her spell.

No conclusion was reached before Kaito continued, "This is about me gluing your hands to Hakuba's umbrella last week, isn't it? Because I made you two walk home looking like a couple and then Hakuba got burned in effigy by Akako's crazed fans?"

"Nothing of the sort," Hakuba assured, shaking his head more to clear it of thoughts of Akako than anything. "I just…and believe me, I usually give no credence to the supernatural, but…I have a bad feeling about today, and I really do think that you should go home before—"

"—She's coming!" Akako hissed, hearing the sounds of their brave leader humming as she approached from where she had been preparing for their meeting in the back room. "Kuroba-kun, where is your hat?"

"I told you," Kaito grumbled. "I'll wear the rest of the Kid Capture Brigade uniform, but I'm not wearing the beekeeper's hat."

"It looks nothing like a beekeeper's hat," Saguru snorted.

Kaito shot the Brit another blank-faced stare. "You would know, you Holmes freak."

Hakuba's chance for rebuttal slipped away as Aoko came out skipping, taking her place behind the bar.

"Hi everybody! Thanks for coming!" She smiled brightly, looking as happy as a songbird in her heinously ugly Brigade uniform. "Aoko would now like to call this meeting of the Kid Capture Brigade to order. Let us begin by reciting the Brigade Oath. All stand."

The three other members reluctantly got to their feet, holding up their right hands in the shape of the American Sign Language K and mumbling, "On my honor, I will try, to the best of my ability, to capture Kid,"

Here they switched their hand position to the sign language C. "…bring honor to my country, respect the law,"

And then the C became B. "help people at all times, and be a true friend to my Brigade family."

"Kid Capture Brigade forever!" Aoko concluded solemnly.

"Kid Capture Brigade forever," the three echoed in an indistinct mutter with all the enthusiasm of a child forced to attend summer school.

"You may be seated," their chief announced. "Now, before we get things started, Kaito, you lost your hat again." Aoko pulled out the hated object and placed it on the magician's head.

Kaito gave a discrete full-body shiver as soon as she looked away.

"Aoko swears. You keep losing it, and it keeps showing up in the strangest places: the trashcan, the back of Aoko's dad's closet, under one of the pool table legs… This time it was stuffed into the bottom of Kaito's freezer."

"Yeah…" Kaito replied through gritted teeth as his whole body trembled. "Yeah. That's sure weird all right."

"Maybe the hat is cursed," Akako suggested. "It can sense that Kuroba-kun is a non-believer in the power of the Brigade, so it hides from him."

Hakuba held up a finger and announced, "My theory is that the closet gnomes that are trying to overtake the Kuroba Household have figured out that the hat is imbued with the power of the Brigade, so they're trying to hide it from him in order to weaken him and make it easier to succeed in their invasion."

"And I think that Hakuba and Akako are stealing it and hiding it from me," Kaito snorted.

"Kaito!" Aoko scolded, screeching indignantly. "How could you accuse your Brigade brother and Brigade sister of theft!? You probably keep dropping it weird places without realizing it."

Hakuba nodded, adding in a patronizing tone, "Yes, I'm sure the loss of his hat is completely unintentional."

Akako nodded in agreement, a serpentine smirk settling on her ruby lips.

"Of course," Aoko replied in support of the statement. "It's not like he'd hide it in those weird places on purpose. Right, Kaito?"

Kaito smiled awkwardly, and it came out as more of a grimace. "R-Right."

"Okay. Now to get things started." Aoko quickly shifted into Brigade Leader mode. "Today we have a special guest!"

The Brigade members shifted uncomfortably, sneaking glances at the others.

"Aoko talked about him before. Our brother in arms! Leader of the Shounen Tanteidan and the celebrated 'natural predator' of the Kaitou Kid…"

Kaito, Hakuba, and Akako's eyes all widened as Aoko pulled an unusually small eight year-old out from under the bar counter.

"Edogawa Conan-kun!" Aoko cheered. "He's going to help us with our strategies and shape us into a more efficient Brigade!"

The schoolyard sleuth was set down on the counter top in front of Kaito, not three feet between his face and the magician-thief's.

"Hello there, Conan-kun!" Hakuba was the first to slam down his own version of poker face and greet the guest. "Thank you so much for coming. I look forward to receiving your help and advice!"

"Hi there, Hakuba-no-niichan. Long time no see," Conan replied warmly, just barely taking his eyes off of Kaito for a split second to glance in Hakuba's direction and politely nod. Then his steel blue eyes turned coldly back on Kaito.

"I'm Koizumi Akako, the resident siren," the witch chimed in, twirling a strand of crimson hair around her finger, hoping to distract the bloodhound with her charms.

"Nice to meet you, Akako-neechan," Conan returned civilly, giving her the same glance and nod as he'd done for Hakuba. It wasn't a long or hard enough look to get trapped in Akako's web.

And then Conan's eyes fixed once more on Kaito's, and it was a silent war of sapphire and tanzanite.

Kaito sincerely hoped that he could pass off the sweat rolling down the back of his neck as being due to the humidity of the Tokyo summer.

And Conan stared right into the face of his rival, a face so similar to his own that the magician didn't have to wear a mask to impersonate Kudo Shinichi.

"And what's your name?" Conan threw down the gauntlet.

Kaito shrugged, playing it nonchalant. "Name? They don't really call me by name around here. I'm known as 'The Idiot' or 'You Idiot'. Feel free to call me that. Sometimes, when Hakuba gets really pissed, he goes all British and calls me 'Idjit'. I like that one. I think it's cute."

"Conan-kun," Hakuba interrupted, hoping to distract the child from discovering Kaito's secret identity. "Why don't you educate us on some of the ways we can improve Brigade efficiency?"

"Oh, yes! Please!" Akako joined in.

Aoko grinned, infinitely pleased that her Brigade members were showing some interest in the meeting for once.

The shrunken detective frowned. "Well, I'll tell you what your problem is for starters. You're never going to capture Kid so long as This Idiot is a member of the Brigade." He indicated Kaito.

Aoko blinked innocently as Hakuba, Akako, and Kaito all had inner panic attacks.

"Conan-kun, why do you say that?" the Brave Leader asked, absolutely flummoxed as to why her beloved childhood friend was a part of the problem.

Conan sighed, shaking his head. "Because he _IS_—"

"—Completely lacking in enthusiasm!" Saguru shouted, drowning Conan out.

Aoko blinked. "Well, that's true, but…what were you saying, Conan-kun?"

The pocket-sized sleuth tried again, slightly miffed at the interruption. "As I was saying, your problem is that he _IS_—"

"—Utterly disrespectful of the uniform!" Akako yelled, making Conan inaudible once more.

Before the Beika detective could protest or reiterate, Akako turned on Kaito and wagged her finger at him. "See? Our failures have all been your fault! Even Conan-kun agrees!"

Sensing an opportunity, Hakuba jumped in, "Yes! It's because you're careless with your hat! How could you not notice the thing falling right off of your head? You're irresponsible, and you don't take your duties as Illusion Analyst seriously!"

Akako recommenced finger wagging, pushing Hakuba aside to get right up in Kaito's face. "You don't believe in the sanctity of the uniform and you don't act like a true friend to your Brigade family!"

Kaito, playing along, gasped in dismay. "Oh my gosh! You're right!" He crumpled to his knees on the ground. "What have I done?! This is all my fault! It's my fault that we haven't caught Kid yet! It's my fault that our strategies are failing! I've let my Brigade family down!"

Adding to the spectacle, Kaito began to wail, faking big crocodile tears.

Conan looked on in wonder, not buying this outlandish show for a second.

Aoko, on the other hand, had tears coming to her own eyes.

"It's all right," Hakuba assured, kneeling at Kaito's side and putting a hand on the weeping magician's shoulder. "Now that you've realized your folly, you can change."

"He's right," Akako cooed softly, taking Kaito's hands in her own. "We can fix this."

Kaito shook his head. "No. It's not all right. Guys, I've completely lacked enthusiasm, broken the Brigade oath, brought shame and disgrace to the Brigade, and—worst of all—have disrespected the sacred uniform! I no longer deserve to be your Brigade brother!"

Akako and Hakuba both whispered in very low, serious, deadly tones, "If we have to endure this, so do you." and "You're not allowed to quit while we suffer."

Out loud for the audience, they proclaimed, "We forgive you!"

"You idiot!" Aoko wailed, coming over and joining the dogpile even as her eyes overflowed with tears. "It's okay! Things will be different from now on! We're all friends, and we're here for you!" Aoko closed her eyes and sobbed, clinging to the other three.

Hakuba, Kaito, and Akako shared a look and then broke out into weak smiles. They tightened their hold on each other.

"Yeah," Kaito whispered. "We're all friends."

Akako and Hakuba both gave reluctant nods, the looks on their faces reading, "Somehow, though I don't know why or when."

"You'll just have to respect the uniform in the future," Hakuba teased, smirking at the thief.

Kaito rolled his eyes as Akako seconded the motion.

"Yes. Everything should go smoothly in the future so long as you stop losing your hat to the closet gnome invasion," she snickered.

"It's not about the uniforms," Conan broke in, finally getting frustrated with all of the nonsense.

Aoko blinked, wiping the tears away as she looked up at their guest speaker. "It's not?"

"No," Conan snorted. "The uniforms are stupid, hideous, and probably slowing you down at heists."

The stifling sauna that the bar had become in the typical June rainy season suddenly turned into an industrial-sized freezer.

Kaito, Hakuba, and Akako looked at each other in terror, clinging a little harder in some hope of salvation from Aoko's wrath.

The girl in question stood up with the most intimidating forced smile Kaito had ever seen.

"Aoko would like to respectfully disagree with you, Conan-kun, about the fabulous Brigade uniforms being stupid and ugly. But…if you think that the design is a problem, let me show you the other option, and we'll see if that's any better." The smile persisted, but an aura of malevolence had descended on the Blue Parrot, emanating from the Brigade Leader.

"I don't see why you need a uniform at all." Conan frowned, somehow missing the chill of death suddenly filling the room. Perhaps he was too used to the chill of death and had therefore grown oblivious to it.

"Because as we increase in wearing matching uniforms, our success in capturing Kid goes up," Aoko explained patiently to the infidel. "We have a graph in back along with the alternate uniform design. Let Aoko just go get it."

As Aoko disappeared in back, the remaining Brigade members began to panic, much to Conan's confusion.

"There are _mops_ back there!" Akako shrieked quietly in horror.

She said the word "mops" as if it were "guns" or "bombs".

"Quickly. Everyone hide behind the pool table," Hakuba instructed, taking charge. "We can use it as a bit of a buffer."

Kaito looked back at Conan (still perched on top of the counter) as he filed with the other two behind the pool table. "Whatever you do, _DON'T_ comment on the validity of the correlation of her variables."

Aoko returned seconds later with the graph in one hand and the alternate uniform design in the other. "See?" She smiled like a possessed doll from the horror stories. "As you can clearly see from the graph, as we increase in wearing Brigade uniforms…"

Conan cast the cowering Brigade members an "Are you serious?" look.

Kaito mouthed, "Don't comment on the graph."

Conan disregarded the warning. "Aoko-neesan, that's not how a line graph works. You can't just stick two variables on the axis and say that there's a correlation even though no correlation exists."

Aoko's polite smile shattered, and she puffed out her cheeks in her typical pout. "A correlation does too exist! Dad's Taskforce members all wear uniforms!"

"And they suck," Conan replied with absolutely no regard for his own life or the safety of the Brigade members. "The uniforms don't have anything to do with it, and your current Brigade uniforms in particular are…" Conan grimaced, without words with which to describe how horrid Aoko's fashion sense was.

Aoko slammed down the second design option on the counter and seethed, "How about this one?" She was developing a bit of a tick in her left eye.

Conan's eyes widened. "If you want to look like a parakeet and give away your position from a mile away, sure. Whoever designed these outfits for you had zero sense of fashion. I mean, I really don't have much of a head for fashion myself, but even I can tell that these are hideous. I would fire your designer."

"Uh…Conan-kun?" Hakuba squeaked as flames started coming out of Aoko's ears.

"_She_ did the designs," Kaito finished, moving behind Akako in an attempt to shield himself.

"Everyone down!" Hakuba yelped, grabbing his two companions and forcing them to take shelter underneath the pool table just as "Mount Vesuvius" erupted and the barstools went flying.

…

Edogawa Conan took care never to be seen by Nakamori Aoko ever again, and he was not invited back to the Kid Capture Brigade meetings as a guest speaker.

The Brigade had to hold another bake sale in order to buy Jii-chan new barstools, and it took them about an hour to clean up the mess of splinters left behind in the carnage.

The Kid Capture Brigade didn't really accomplish much that day—not that they ever accomplished much—but, somehow, they ended up feeling a lot closer to each other than before.

"Crisis intimacy," Kaito whispered to the other two as Aoko went on making her speech about a new sense of fraternity in the Brigade since they had undergone persecution together. "We've survived a _war_."

Hakuba and Akako nodded discretely, but Aoko saw and assumed that they were agreeing with her.

Apparently this moment of solidarity called for a Brigade group hug.

…

Mikau: I'm actually really happy with this. It's pure silliness, but… ^.^ I had fun. I hope you did too. See you next time, and thanks in advance for taking the time to review. It's very much appreciated!


	6. The Uniform

Mikau: Hello! Hopefully you're still enjoy this series. I'm currently working on the next chapter in which the Brigade attends a heist with disastrous results, but I'm feeling so unmotivated to write anything, so it's slow going, but look forward to it! Thanks a bunch to reviewers from last time: kakashikrazy256, Kimmiko T, Lady Rosencrantz, KaitoPhantom1412, Claude le noctambule, Yumeno Katrin, Detectivewriters, 908-03, and ninja dragon16!

…

Chapter Six: The Uniform

The meeting the following week started off pretty much business as usual. Everyone was there in full uniform thanks to Kaito's very public, extremely dramatic "change of heart" the previous week during which he had vowed to turn over a new leaf and respect the uniform.

That being said, even though he was wearing the uniform (including that odious hat), he was as sulky as a wet cat about it. He grumbled under his breath, letting his chin rest on the counter of the bar until Aoko came in to start the meeting.

They stood and said the Brigade Oath like usual, but today, none of the four was very gung-ho about it, and that was atypical of Aoko. Normally she was full speed ahead about everything concerning the Kid Capture Brigade. But her heart obviously just wasn't in it today.

"Before we really get started," Aoko carried on like she did every week with the announcements and concerns. "Aoko just wanted to know…" She seemed to brace herself, looking down at the counter instead of straight ahead, chin held high and proud, at her troops. "And please be honest with Aoko, but…" She bit her lip and closed her eyes with a sigh of defeat. "The uniforms are ugly, aren't they?"

There was a beat of palpable silence as Kaito, Hakuba, and Akako all made their own mental calculations.

Kaito was the fastest at doing math in his head…unless the equation had to do with time. That was Hakuba's thing. And if it was measurements, that was the resident witch's specialty.

But Kaito answered first as he was the one most comfortable lying to Aoko straight to her face. "Not really. I mean, they're not fashionable by any means, but they're seriously not that bad. Why?"

Aoko opened her eyes but still refused to look up at them. She fidgeted, still unsure.

"He's right," Hakuba chimed in, reasoning that sometimes fibbing was for the greater good. "If you're thinking about what Conan-kun said, you should put it out of your mind. Our uniforms are fine the way they are."

"Yeah," Akako chimed in a little hesitantly. "I mean…a lot of the Taskforce members have told me that I look cute in the uniform, so…" Of course, they would have told her she looked cute in a plastic trash bag because of her seductive aura, but that was beside the point.

"Yeah," Kaito chuckled. "Those leggings really show off her butt."

"Not that he's bothered to personally take note of how good my butt looks," Akako sniffed, crossing her arms and turning away slightly.

"The point is," Hakuba broke in, "that our uniforms are not ugly, so…please don't look so down, Aoko-kun."

"Yeah, Aoko. Chin up," Kaito encouraged.

"Yes," Akako agreed, nodding knowingly. "It's all about how you wear it. If you wear it with confidence, anything looks good, so just forget everything that pipsqueak said. What does he know? He's eight."

Aoko looked up at her friends and smiled through a slow, steady stream of tears. "Guys…Aoko…Aoko _knows_. She knows, so…you don't have to hide how much you hate the uniforms anymore. It's okay. Aoko understands."

The detective, the magician, and the witch all looked at each other, hesitant to be the first one to give up the ghost.

"It's okay?" Akako echoed uncertainly, uncrossing her arms and angling her body back toward the others.

Kaito breathed a sigh of relief, taking off his nemesis the hat. "Well, thank goodness that's over."

Hakuba looked troubled and unsure, but he too took off his hat.

Aoko laughed wryly at her friends. "Why did you all wear those awful things when you hated them so much?"

The three squirmed, still not wanting to truly admit how much of an eyesore their uniforms had been.

"Because you spent so much time and effort on those damn things," Kaito sighed, raking an agitated hand through his already untamable hair.

"And you were so happy about them," Akako added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "They meant so much to you, and you looked like you were having so much fun."

"And more than anything," Hakuba confessed, looking Aoko right in the eye, "they were symbolic to us. Koizumi-san, Kuroba, and I, outside of the Brigade, are all friendless loners. We're unique and live exciting lives, but…we have no one to share our experiences with, so it all feels a little meaningless."

At this Kaito and Akako reluctantly nodded, acknowledging it all as truth.

"The uniforms…" Akako gritted her teeth as if it physically pained her to admit that she felt something other than indifference. "They made us a part of something, made us feel like we belonged to a team."

"And we all want to belong more than anything," Kaito continued in all seriousness for once. "So…we wore the stupid, ugly uniform to make you happy. For one, 'cause you're our dorky leader, and we love you, you dope, but also…we wore it because the Brigade is important to us."

Aoko's eyes brimmed over with joyous tears as she launched forward across the counter and enveloped the other three in a trash compactor-tight hug. "You guys are the best!"

Once the hugging and the blubbering was over and done with, Aoko got the meeting back under way: "Ahem. All right. So the old uniforms have to go, but…do you guys want a new uniform?"

The three mumbled and squirmed until it was apparent that they really did want a uniform for the team feel after all.

"But can we help design this one?" Akako practically begged. "If I'm to be the team's femme fatal, I really do need to be able to show off my figure."

Aoko nodded thoughtfully. "Okay. Spandex for Akako-chan."

"And I wouldn't be opposed to there being a male version of the uniform as well as a female version," Saguru proposed. "Not all of us look as good in women's clothing as Kuroba does."

"Hey," the thief hissed, elbowing the blonde before turning to the others. "Maybe…could we do something kind of like a sentai squad-based uniform? Not with all the skin-tight clothes and masks or anything, but…you know. Kind of the same design but modified for gender? And…in different colors?"

"Colors?" Aoko blinked, all kinds of ideas filling her head about a new direction in which to lead the Brigade. "Aoko likes that idea! Aoko will be blue, Hakuba-kun will be white, Akako-chan will be red, and Kaito will be black! It's perfect!"

"Finally the red ranger is female," Akako snickered. "I like that idea too."

"Blue, red, white, black…aren't those the colors of the Four Holy Beasts?" Kaito inquired, looking around at his teammates.

"That would make _you_ the turtle," Saguru returned with a smirk.

The hair on the back of Kaito's neck stood up as he growled. "Watch it, tiger boy, or this turtle's gonna bite your head off. And, for your information, unlike a turtle, I'm _very_ good on my back, if you insist upon trying me."

Akako surreptitiously pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of the befuddled expression mixed with a hot blush on Hakuba's face.

Aoko blinked innocently, at a complete loss as to what had happened. "So!" she refocused her Brigade. "Spandex for Akako-chan, a more masculine option for the boys, colors corresponding with our names…is there anything else?"

"If there have to be hats, make them fedoras," Kaito spoke up, ensuring that he would never suffer at the hands of horrible headwear ever again.

And that is the story of how the Kid Capture Brigade got their stylish new uniforms.


	7. Heist Aftermath

Mikau: Hi guys! Long time no see. Thanks so much for your patience. Writing hasn't been my priority the last two months while I see to my personal and professional life, so I really do appreciate you hanging in there with me while I update sporadically. Right now we have Falling in Love Literally, Just Passing Through, and a new one called Tomorrow Will Come (over in the MK section). Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed last time: Faliara, Guest, Kimmiko T, Lady Rosencrantz, bbynk, Lady Paper, ninja dragon16, KaitoPhantom1412, and kakashikrazy256! I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd have lots of awesome assistants to help me get my chapters out on time. ^.^;

…

Chapter Seven: Heist Aftermath

"Well," Aoko remarked optimistically as she desperately tried to discretely wipe off the mustache Kid had drawn on her in permanent marker. "That…"

"Was a total disaster," grumbled the perpetual naysayer of the group as he ran both hands furiously through his super saiyan yellow hair. Glitter flew everywhere, spreading with the vengeance of a highly infectious disease.

"I personally think it went rather well," Akako chuckled, twirling the rose she had received from the phantom thief around and around, admiring its beauty from all angles—"Even though its loveliness pales in comparison to yours, Ojousan," Kid had purred with a bow as he'd handed it to her.

"I know _I_ had a wonderful time," she continued, rubbing in the pristine state of her new uniform. "What about you, Hakuba-kun?"

Hakuba Saguru (who was currently attempting to turn invisible, so great was his mortification) merely twitched and tried to pull down his miniskirt to cover more of his bare thighs.

"I'm sure he had a great time," Kaito snorted indignantly, crossing his arms and turning up his nose. "I wish Kid-sama had proposed to _me_," he pouted. "I guess he prefers blondes and redheads, though."

That was it. Aoko's last nerve.

"You three are unbelievable! How are we supposed to capture Kid if three-fourths of our members are always flirting with him and daydreaming about him?" their leader snapped.

"I wonder," Akako sighed, smiling at her rose.

"I don't daydream about him!" Hakuba squawked, momentarily forgetting about the Sailor Venus cosplay Kid had decked him out in. "And I _never_ flirt. That's all _his_ doing."

Hakuba turned and glared at Kaito (who was still trying to get the glitter out of his hair. There was now a substantial pile of it on the floor of the Blue Parrot. Jii would be sweeping for weeks, and it would still look like there had been a rave there).

Kaito raised an eyebrow at the Brit. "What? What are you glaring at _me_ for? I didn't do anything."

"You know why." The blonde looked at the thief who daily tortured him with such malice that a man with a fainter heart than Kaito _would_ have fainted.

"What? Is it because I didn't stand up to Kid and defend your honor when he was molesting you? You looked like you were having fun." Kaito shrugged disinterestedly.

"_I_ was having fun," Akako helpfully chirped.

"No one asked you," Saguru hissed.

Kaito took both of Hakuba's hands in his own and looked right into the Brit's honey-colored eyes, a solemn expression on the magician's face. "Saguru, I'm sorry that I let you down. I should have gone right up to that slug and punched him for daring to touch you. Next time, I swear, I'm gonna stand up in front of everyone and proclaim our love. I'll challenge that no good womanizer to a duel, Saguru! I swear it!"

"Please do," Akako encouraged, discretely filming the whole scene.

Saguru just glared even harder, unable to speak what with the ire and the vomit rising up his throat.

"All joking aside." Kaito grinned cheekily, still holding Hakuba's hands. "You make a better girl than Aoko. Seriously, Hakuba. You're sexy, and that Sailor Venus cosplay is super cute. It really shows off what great legs you have. Can I be your Tuxedo Mask?"

A mop came flying out of nowhere, sniping Kaito to the ground.

It was just as well. If Aoko hadn't come to Saguru's rescue just then, the detective was liable to have judo thrown Kaito into a wall himself.

As Kaito lay in a daze on the floor, Saguru snorted softly, getting to his feet and addressing his Brigade Leader. "Much obliged." He bowed. "Sorry. May I be excused? I'm feeling a little violated right now what with…everything. Seeing as we're not having a very productive debriefing anyway, I'd really like to go home and watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy. I find it therapeutic."

"Go ahead," Aoko sighed.

As Hakuba rushed to the door, still tugging his miniskirt down, Kaito made an inappropriate comment about the blonde's panties to which Hakuba blushed and swore revenge in his heart.

Aoko sighed once more. "And this evening started out so well too."

…

The evening had indeed started out well with the debut of their new Brigade uniforms. They really had gone with the super hero squad cliché of each of them wearing their signature color.

Akako's outfit consisted of a tight, black bolero jacket, a plunging v-neck of the most blazing crimson, a black miniskirt, and tights. On the left side of the jacket was the Brigade logo. Everything was skin tight and sexy on the Brigade's femme fatale.

Aoko's uniform consisted of a white vest and a blue top. Her t-shirt was azure and more conservative than Akako's as far as the neckline went. White dress pants and a white newsboy hat bearing the logo in blue rounded out her attire.

Kaito's uniform was a white track suit with black stripes up the side. The t-shirt was tight and black, making him look like some kind of athletic heartthrob, the star of some sports team or another. The Brigade logo adorned his jacket as well as the t-shirt just in case he took the jacket off during the summer.

Last but not least was Hakuba's outfit, and he was quite pleased with it. His uniform comprised black dress pants, a grey vest, a tie, and a white dress shirt. The logo was featured on his custom-made tie pin.

"So…what do we think of the new uniforms?" Aoko asked nervously, making concentric circles on the ground with her toe as she fidgeted.

"I look _soooo_ hot," Akako purred, doing a test spin to make her short skirt flair out a bit.

"Ditto," Kaito snickered, admiring the jacket before taking it off and throwing it over one shoulder. Posing, he winked at his imaginary fans.

"I'm not as conceited as the other two," Hakuba chuckled, rolling his eyes at his companions' vanity. "But I do have to say that my uniform is quite flattering and very much my style." Here his cheerful expression faded into one of chagrin. "I'm going to have to thank my mother for making these for us."

"Yes! Definitely!" Aoko trilled, clasping her hands in joy that her Brigade members liked the new uniforms. "Please tell her how grateful we are!"

"See?" Kaito simpered. "Now aren't you glad that I called Helen and asked her to make the uniforms?"

Hakuba shifted uncomfortably, muttering under his breath about how his mother liked his sworn enemy better than her own son. "And when did you get on a first name basis with my mother?"

Kaito shrugged. "After you got back from your sulking tour abroad. I thought an alliance with her would be advantageous."

Saguru screwed up his face into a surly frown. "Sulking tour? I did not go on a sulking tour." His eyebrow began to twitch.

Kaito blinked innocently. "Yes you did. Remember? You came to Japan in February, got totally thrashed by Kid, and then slunk off on a sulking tour of Europe with your tail between your legs? Remember? You missed the Clock Tower heist and you called me from France to confess your love for me. You remember, don't you, Sa-chan?"

"I remember no such thing," the detective growled, ready to engage in fisticuffs should the magician press his luck any further.

Kaito paled, horror overtaking every one of his features until he looked like he had seen zombies rise out of the grave in front of him. He turned to Aoko and wailed, "Oh, Aoko! It's awful! Sa-chan has amnesia!"

Aoko rolled her eyes.

"I have not," Hakuba himself firmly insisted. "I remember the incident of which you are speaking just fine, and that is not how it went. I called you from Paris to—" He broke off suddenly, realizing that admitting that he had called Kaito believing him to be Kid and wishing to warn him against the danger that was Chat Noir…probably wouldn't go over well with their Brave Leader.

"To confess," Kaito filled in the blank of Saguru's silence with big crocodile tears. "You were worried because I was at that Chat Noir versus Kid heist, and you wanted to warn me to be careful. You were concerned that my feelings were wavering between you and Kid-sama, so you told me not to let my heart be captured by anyone else. You told me not to give myself to anyone else because you were going to be the one to take me," Kaito proclaimed with large, serious, tear-filled eyes, honestly looking like an earnest maiden in love.

And then he turned to Akako and smirked. "It was super romantic. I bet no one's ever laid claim to your virginity like _that_ before."

"No indeed," Akako snickered, incredibly amused by Kaito's antics and the aghast face that Hakuba was making.

The blonde detective made several false starts, but, in the end, he was unable to reply to Kaito's outlandish claims.

Aoko responded for him…with a flying mop. "Kaito, stop being ridiculous. Hakuba-kun likes girls and so do you."

"You never know," Akako interjected with a snicker. "In the comics, previously straight boys often fall in love with each other. And then they usually end up making wild animal love by the end of the first volume."

Aoko blinked. "…What kind of manga have you been reading, Akako-chan?"

"I'll show you later. When you come over to my house." The witch smiled pleasantly, giving Kaito and Hakuba both chills.

"Don't show her!" Kaito hissed and sputtered like an angry cat. He then turned to Aoko. "And don't go to her house! It's evil and haunted and cursed and all that."

Aoko looked at her childhood friend for a moment before shaking her head and moving on. "All right. Enough fooling around. Does everyone remember the plan?"

The Brigade members nodded and shrugged alternatingly with a general mumble going through them.

"Does everyone remember their assigned positions?" their leader continued enthusiastically with pre-heist preparations.

Akako, Saguru, Kaito, and Aoko each confirmed their positions. …Not that it did them a whole lot of good considering that only one of the four actually intended to stay in the pre-arranged positions, but…

"Okay. Then we're ready to go!" Aoko announced gleefully, sticking out her hand. "Kid Capture Brigade on three. Ready?"

The other three reluctantly put their own hands on top of Aoko's, and on three they all shouted "Kid Capture Brigade!" …without the exclamation point. Really, it came out more as an indistinct mumble with Aoko's voice ringing loud and clear over the rest.

…

"We really are like the Power Rangers," Kaito chuckled into the transmitter in his Brigade badge (courtesy of Professor Agasa via Jii-chan). He made sure that he was in plain view of the security camera where he stood stationed just in front of the museum's emergency exit door on the second story. The camera would serve as a good alibi…seeing as he had prerecorded some footage to loop and play at his discretion.

"You do realize that that would make _you_ the Black Ranger, don't you?" the voice of Hakuba snorted, a little ways off from the case containing the jewel Kid was targeting in the main exhibition room.

"Yeah? So?" Kaito didn't see the significance.

Saguru happily shared his theory. "Well, the Black Ranger is always the scumbag one that either worked for the enemy and turned good or was the traitor all along. What does that say about you?"

Kaito blinked. Touché. "Well, give me a bag of silver and call me Judas," Kaito chuckled. "I'd never noticed. I guess that works pretty well considering that you think that I'm Kid-sama."

"Indeed," Hakuba snorted.

"But does that make _you_ aloof and snooty?" Kaito countered. "The White Ranger is always aloof and snooty. I mean, he's not a regular member of the team like Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, and Pink. He just kind of wanders in and wanders out and does his own thing. Does that mean that you're not a team player either, Haku-chan?"

The detective was silent for a minute in thought. "…I don't remember Power Rangers being like that."

"I'm just excited that we finally have a female Red Ranger," Akako snickered over the radio. "It's been a long time coming…though…I'm not the leader of our group, so…"

"Didn't they have a female Red once?" Kaito hummed contemplatively, trying to recall his Sunday morning cartoons.

"I can't say that I watched the various incarnations of Power Rangers faithfully enough to be able to say for sure." Hakuba shrugged.

Akako continued: "And our Blue Ranger isn't useless and marginalized, so there's that too."

Finally Aoko spoke up, ending the cultural/symbolic discussion. "Guys, two minutes to heist. Heads up."

And sure enough, two minutes later all the lights in the museum flashed.

Security camera footage later revealed Kid appearing by the second floor emergency exit door and covering Kaito in glitter that spanned all the colors of the rainbow. Kaito's hair was dyed phosphorescent blonde, and then the thief dropped a flash bomb, disappearing just as suddenly as he had come.

The video next showed Kaito dashing off camera after the thief.

In reality Kaito had glittered and hair-dyed himself at the appointed time when the lights went out. That was when the prerecorded footage started to play.

Kaito ran down the hallway towards the area where Aoko had stationed herself.

"Aoko! Did you see him?! He went this way!" he shouted as he ran past her, enticing her to follow.

When they reached a split where the path diverged, Kaito directed Aoko to go right while he himself went left, tearing down the hallway…until he reached a nice little nook just around a corner where the security camera couldn't see him.

Once in the clear, Kaito pulled out a remote controlled magnet and switched it on. All of the glitter came out of his hair and stuck to the magnet. Next he had to take care of his neon yellow dye job. That too easily came out with the application of the right product.

In a minute flat, Kaito had finished cleaning himself up, and the Kaitou Kid immerged from the nook in his full, white-tuxedoed glory.

Kid started down the hall on his way to the exhibition only to be cut off unexpectedly by the red sorceress herself.

She smiled slyly at him, softly snickering.

"Good evening, Miss Witch," Kid greeted civilly, giving a slight bow as he cautiously approached.

"I can't let you through, Kuroba-kun. Hakuba-kun would be upset, and Nakamori-san would start throwing the furniture from the Middle Ages exhibit or something. In lieu of a mop, she'd probably use a butter churner," Akako teased.

"Perhaps I could barter for my safe passage, My Lady?" Kid tentatively suggested. It couldn't hurt to try after all.

The redhead rolled her eyes with her signature laugh. "Barter? What do you think you could give me? You've made it perfectly clear that you're unwilling to part with your heart, and that's all I really want from you." She flipped a strand of her scarlet locks over her shoulder, almost challenging him to contradict her.

Kid stopped a few feet in front of her and gave a gentlemanly bow. "Unfortunately, all I can offer you is this." He leaned in to kiss her hand, and when he released it, she found herself holding a breathtaking, crimson rose at peak bloom. "Even though its loveliness pales in comparison to yours, Ojousan."

He came up from his bow and smiled at her.

Akako looked away, hand going to her opposite elbow in a self-comforting gesture. Her own superior smirk dimmed. "You'd say anything to get what you want…. You're despicable. You know that?"

Her cheeks were slowly turning as red as the petals of the rose she was trying not to look at, trying not to think about.

"And yet…somehow I like you better this way…when you lie through your teeth and say pretty things," Akako whispered, almost to herself.

And then she looked thoughtful for a moment.

Kaito waited, on guard but trying to look relaxed.

"You should probably go," the witch hummed. "I'll run after you, but I bet you're faster than I am, especially when I'm only chasing you half-heartedly." And then she shot him a serious look. "And I am only chasing after you half-heartedly, you realize. I only bother with you because it annoys me the way you can resist me. It's not as if I'm actually interested."

Kid smiled softly and nodded. "Yeah. I've noticed that you've got your eye on someone else lately."

Akako frowned, but before she could ask what that remark was supposed to mean, Kid was off like an arrow, flying down the corridor and towards the exhibition hall.

She trotted after him as slowly as she could and have it still be considered a "trot".

Kid arrived 'ere long in the main hall where the Taskforce was waiting, and things soon exploded into pink smoke as well as fifty shades of the usual nonsense.

The Taskforce pounced, Kid got the jewel, police uniforms were exchanged with ones that Kaito thought more flattering, and confetti got _everywhere_.

Akako and Aoko arrived just in time to witness Kid changing out Hakuba's stylish new Brigade uniform for a striking (in more ways than one) Sailor Venus cosplay.

Everyone froze, including the Brit. They were all stunned to learn that the seemingly stuffy, know-it-all blonde that annoyed the majority of them actually looked _really_ good in women's clothing.

The only one that didn't go bug-eyed at the unveiling was Kid himself. He smiled, cupping the Englishman's cheek and leaning in for a kiss.

Hakuba just barely managed to turn his head in time to avoid lip contact, and he let out a scandalized shriek, unable to form his confusion, disgust, hate, and indignation into recognizable words in either Japanese or English. Well…there were a few choice words in French that would have made even Nakamori-keibu's ears go red in embarrassment, but…

And then Kid got down on one knee and proposed. It would have been quite romantic if Saguru hadn't absolutely despised his suitor at that moment. What with him currently plotting the very violent, drawn-out murder of Kuroba Kaito, it sort of took away from the charm and magic.

Soon our Tantei-san managed to pull himself together and shout, "Don't just stare! Get him!" to his compatriots.

And it was chaos all over again as glitter flew, Akako cackled between snapping pictures, Aoko got out the mop from the janitor's closet, and Kid leisurely made his escape.

All in all, a disheartening defeat for the Brigade and the Taskforce alike.

The only redeeming point was when they later found Kaito, tied up and knocked out not too far from where he and Aoko had split up earlier that evening. Hanging around Kaito's neck with a cute little snarky note from everyone's favorite phantom thief was the pendant that had been that night's target.

Apparently it hadn't been what Kid was looking for, so they got back the object of the heist, but…still it felt like bitter defeat.

And that brings you back to where you came in.

…

Mikau: Thanks for reading, guys! Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up for you soon. I just have to edit the hell out of it. ^.^; By the way, kakashikrazy is super special awesome and actually drew the new Brigade uniforms! You can find them on the Poirot Café forum in the fanfic library section in the Brigade's thread on page seven. They truly are amazing! Thanks again, KK!


	8. Skinship

Mikau: Three words to describe my feelings about this chapter: too much fun. I had too much fun with this, so I hope you have even half as much reading it. Also this week we have Falling in Love Literally and Just Passing Through. Thanks a bunch to all of my reviewers from last time: Kimmiko T, Lady Rosencrantz, Yuudare, 00Midnight00, and Anime fan (As you may have noticed in the manga, the Org doesn't show up at every heist, so I haven't had them yet here. Maybe later. And I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean by making Hakuba "romantic and stuff". ^.^; I'm sorry. Do you mean you prefer an asexual Hakuba? Or are you talking about sexualization and objectification when Kaito dressed him as Sailor Venus? To me, a guy described as "romantic" means that he's a gentleman who would buy a girl flowers and open the door for her and stuff like that, and I think the canon characterization of Hakuba is a very "romantic" gentleman going by how he interacts with Aoko and some of the other ladies, so I'm trying to figure out what you mean. Please clarify.)! And now let's be on with it.

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I'd probably be one of those mangaka whose editors have to come beating down their doors, demanding the next chapter. -.-;

…

Chapter Eight: Skinship

"Well, I have to say that your deductions have often made me feel naked in front of you, Hakuba, but...this is a little too literal for my tastes," Kaito snorted, crossing his arms but doing nothing to preserve his modesty.

Hakuba used one hand to cover his eyes and the other to function as a fig leaf often employed to censor art…only his hand was a little small for the job. "Kuroba! This is indecent."

Kaito sent his Brigade brother a deadpan look…not that Hakuba could see Kaito's expression with the hand over his eyes.

"Seriously, Hakuba? We're at an onsen. Nudity is inevitable. Just be grateful that we're at a small, rundown place with no other customers this weekend due to it being the off season. You never know when you're going to run into lecherous old men at these things, and with us being two young, athletic Adonises fit to be turned into marble statues…" He let the implications that something unthinkable might happen to them hang in the air as he sauntered off to the wash area.

Hakuba let the hand covering his eyes drop as his eyelids fluttered in surprise. His whole body turned as red as a boiled lobster as he thought about Kuroba's opinion that Saguru's body was visually pleasing enough to be considered a candidate for immortalization in art.

…

This all came about at a Brigade meeting after a particularly humiliating defeat at the hands of their constant tormentor Kid. Moral was low, and Hakuba and Kaito were bickering. Kaito, as usual, vented his feelings by pranking the poor Brit who just yelled all the louder for it.

And then a bar stool got broken.

And that was _it_ for the Brigade Leader. Aoko gave them a verbal thrashing so severe that, afterwards, both boys kind of secretly wished that they'd just been beaten with a mop instead. They felt like the scum of the earth, unfit to use up precious oxygen.

After the meeting adjourned for the day, Kaito and Hakuba slunk off with their tails between their legs. Akako, however, hung back to offer their brave leader some moral support. Not that she would ever admit to it out loud under pain of torture, but…

"Aoko just wishes that Kaito and Hakuba-kun got along better. Sometimes they act like such good friends, but a lot of the time, they act like they hate each other," Aoko sighed, gathering her presentation aids. "Aoko's sure that if they just talked and spent some time with one another…they could be really good friends."

"Might I venture to suggest," Akako started in a low purr, "that the Brigade spend some time bonding?"

Aoko looked up from her graphs (struggling to escape from her) and blinked at her friend. "Bonding?"

Akako nodded, coming up to the bar and leaning on it, showing some cleavage. "Yes. Bonding."

Aoko blushed, looking away. "Wh-What do you mean, Akako-chan?"

Akako chuckled. "During the meetings, we spend so much time planning and strategizing. Maybe every once in a while, instead of that, we should be spending our meetings socializing. For example, we could go get frozen yogurt together or go window shopping or see a movie."

Aoko's eyes widened as she understood what Akako was getting at. "Like…friends."

Akako nodded encouragingly. "Mmhm. And, I know we're not a typical school club, but…other clubs go on trips together, don't they? Sports clubs have their training camps, and culture clubs go to museums or aquariums or…you know. I have no idea, but places like that, right?"

Aoko was the one nodding enthusiastically now. "Un! You're right! But…where would the Brigade go for bonding time?"

Akako smirked, her master plan falling into place. "An onsen."

Aoko blinked. "An onsen? But…isn't going to a hot spring expensive, Akako-chan?" Aoko nibbled on her lip in thought, trying to recall just how much would be left in the Brigade's bank account now that they had to buy Jii-chan another bar stool…again.

The answer was: not much. They would have to have yet another bake sale. Or maybe they could try selling cookies or candy bars.

"Normally, yes. The high end onsen can be _very_ pricey, but…I just so happen to know someone through my coven," Akako proudly announced, preening like a peacock over her connections.

"Coven?" Aoko blinked.

"Of other witc—wiccans." Akako cleared her throat. "Sorry. Yes. My coven. The place is small and leaves a lot to be desired, but I'm the only high maintenance member of the Brigade, so if I'm willing to stay there, the rest of you should be fine," she assured. "Right now it's their off season, so we should be able to get a decent price."

Aoko nodded, easily sold on the idea. It'd been so long since she'd gotten to go to an onsen…well, there was the hot spring at the ski resort when they'd gone as a class, but…somehow she felt like that didn't count since their primary focus was skiing, not bathing.

"The real plan starts once we actually get to the onsen," Akako continued with a scheming smile.

"Aoko's listening," the girl assured, leaning in as Akako whispered conspiratorially.

"What I was thinking is that those two really just need some skinship," the witch elaborated with a smirk. "So what we do is lure them to the baths one by one, take their clothes, and lock them in together for an hour or so until they start playing nice."

Aoko's entire face turned mauve. "B-B-But, Akako-chan! That's—! We can't! H-How are we going to get the clothes in the first place?!"

"By force." Akako had to work very hard to hold in a cackle.

Aoko nearly passed out.

Seeing that her partner in crime wasn't buying into the plot, Akako rolled her eyes and assured, "Oh, don't worry. I'll do all the hard work. All you have to do, Nakamori-san, is ask Kuroba-kun to meet with you outside the baths. When he comes, we'll jump him, knock him out, steal his clothes, and lock him in the bath with Hakuba-kun."

"And how are we going to get Hakuba-kun in there first?" Aoko frowned, feeling conflicted about this plan.

"_I'll_ take care of Hakuba-kun," Akako assured, waving off her co-conspirator's concerns. "Don't worry. You won't have to see anything you shouldn't."

"What about Akako-chan?" Aoko still wasn't sure.

"Some of us don't have innocence in need of protecting," the witch replied with a little snort. "Honestly, naked men don't phase me. What's one or two more added to the list?"

Aoko almost fainted at this scandalous news. "Akako-chan, Aoko doesn't feel right about this! Aoko doesn't think that this is such a good idea."

"But don't you want them to be friends?" the serpent tempted. "We need to do this for their own good."

And that was how Hakuba Saguru and Kuroba Kaito ended up alone and without sufficient coverings, trapped in the outdoor bath at a rundown little hot springs resort in the middle of the mountains that summer.

…

Reluctantly, Hakuba followed Kaito over to the washing area and sanitized himself rather self-consciously.

"I can't believe they didn't even leave us those little towels to wear around our waists," Saguru grumbled, breaking the silence that had fallen between them.

"Does it matter?" Kaito shrugged. "I mean…it's just the two of us, and we're both guys. You've got one; I've got one. Just because yours is bigger, that doesn't mean that mine doesn't exist. You've watched me change for gym before, so what's the big deal?"

Hakuba's entire body went sunburnt red once more in embarrassment. "Have you no sense of shame?" he sputtered.

Kaito shrugged as he finished rinsing off and rose to get into the bath. "You've known me for nearly two years now. What do you think?"

"I think you missed the sense of shame entirely when they were handing out character traits," the detective muttered, getting up and following Kaito to the onsen.

They sat there for a good while as another bout of silence overtook them. Kaito splashed about a bit while Hakuba looked up at the stars, so crisp and bright and numerous out here away from the light pollution of the city.

"It's really beautiful out here," Saguru tentatively ventured to start a conversation.

Kaito gave him a suspicious look before replying, half-heartedly, "Yeah. Gorgeous."

Saguru bit his lip, casting his rival sidelong glances every once in a while to gauge his reactions. "It reminds me of where I grew up. Out in the country. My grandmother has a big estate out there, and…I used to look up at the stars all the time…. They kept me company. Not many kids my own age out there at the estate, so I had to find friends where I could in the forest creatures, the plants, the stars… But now I don't think I could even remember their names. I stopped looking at the stars when I moved to the city."

Kaito moved in a little closer, still a respectable distance away, but near enough to point out the stars and whisper their names. Once he'd finished, he moved back, distancing himself once more and restoring the status quo.

"You're very knowledgeable," Saguru hummed in pleasant surprise.

Kaito shrugged off the compliment. "I started studying mythology when I was sixteen, so…a little bit of astronomy…more so astrology came with it."

"Oh. For the heists." Saguru nodded in understanding, not a hint of accusation in his voice. "Because a lot of gemstones have myths and legends associated with them."

Kaito immediately closed himself off again. "I'm not Kid."

Realizing his mistake, Hakuba began to backpedal. "Oh. No. Of course. I just…I meant because you're such a big fan, but…" He bit his lip as the marks…the old bullet wounds…on his companion's torso came into view.

Feeling his rival's eyes on him, Kaito began to squirm, but he didn't bother trying to hide the scars. "Dammit," he whispered.

"Sorry." Saguru looked away. "I…"

"I didn't have time to fix them up with waterproof makeup," Kaito explained, looking away and crossing his arms. "Aoko asked me to meet her in front of the baths because she wanted to talk, so…I had no idea I would be ending up defrocked in front of you, Tantei-san, with all of this incriminating evidence all over my body. So."

"I don't see anything, Kuroba," Saguru returned, looking in the opposite direction.

Kaito blinked and turned to study the detective's face in undisguised shock.

Hakuba continued to speak in a soft, low voice, raw with honest feeling. "Even though we often find ourselves at odds, Kuroba… Even though there are times when we curse each other and I find myself wanting to strangle the cheek out of you…"

His brow furrowed as he puzzled out how to express himself without sounding overly sappy. "I do hope that you know that I really do consider you a friend. All the times we've affirmed our bond as a Brigade…I really did mean it, and I hope you did too because…" The Brit squirmed a little, anxious about how his admissions would be received. "You all mean a great deal to me…and I'm going to feel very foolish and hurt if you've just been playing us like so many violins this whole time."

He fidgeted a little more, and his voice went even lower into almost a mumble. "Especially considering how Koizumi-san and I have been going out of our way to cover for you and, in some cases, even going so far as to help you. So…I know it's supposed to be my job to figure all this out, Kuroba, but, forgive me, I'm stupid."

Under the water he gave a little kick of frustration. "I can't do it. I can't put it all together on my own, no matter how long or hard I try. I just want to know what's going on…why those men are trying to kill you and how I can help," he went on in a defeated voice. "Because I can't stand the thought of my friend going up against those scoundrels alone. I want to know what's going on so I can help protect you…and give you a good shake and a smack if the only reason you're risking a bullet to the head is to avenge your father."

There was a beat, and then Saguru averted his gaze even further to the right, away from Kaito, as he sighed, exhausted.

"Thanks," Kaito whispered, feeling very, very small. "Hakuba, I was serious too. You guys in the Brigade…you really are my friends, and…" Now for the hard part. It took every ounce of courage and resolve in him to force the words out: "And it's not just about getting back at the Organization for murdering my dad. Not anymore."

Saguru gasped at the unexpected revelations, his head whipping around to stare flabbergasted at Kaito.

Kaito's gaze held firm as he confessed, "Hakuba, this is about stopping those slobs, keeping other people from getting hurt…other kids from ending up like me."

"I would hug you if we both weren't naked," Saguru laughed giddily. "Kuroba, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that."

"Sounds like I've come right at the good part."

The boys jumped at the sudden invasion of Akako's voice.

"Akako?!" Kaito gulped and stared as the witch, wrapped in only a bath towel, sauntered towards them.

Hakuba yelped and covered his eyes.

"Don't worry. I washed properly over in the women's bath before coming here," she assured as if that were their main concern as she waded out into the water with them.

"Where's Aoko?" Kaito demanded hotly.

"Asleep for a good nine hours still," Akako replied with a self-satisfied smile.

"Did you drug her or cast a spell on her?" Kaito glared wooden stakes at the witch.

"Whichever answer makes you less angry at me." Akako simpered in the face of adversity. "And I did it for you two—so you could talk frankly, unfettered."

"And utterly naked," Kaito snorted.

She threw small cover-up towels at the both of them. "It was for your own good. Being in the buff takes all the self-confidence and vibrato out of all but the most self-assured of men, so you two were more likely to get along and be all docile in your birthday suits than not. Besides, it worked. Don't argue with my methods if you like the results. I mean, I even got a confession about all that Kid stuff for you, didn't I, Hakuba-kun?"

When she turned to look at the blonde, she found him with his eyes closed, groping to secure the towel around his waist.

She frowned. "The prudishness of some people."

"I call it modesty and waiting for marriage," Saguru snorted.

"Dude, she's wearing a towel," Kaito muttered, shaking his head. "That's more coverage than some of her _clothes_ provide her with. You can open your eyes."

Grumbling, Saguru did just that, but he refused to look (as usual) directly at Akako, even as he pointed right at her and accused, "You stole my clothes!"

"She's gonna give them back," Kaito interceded. But then he turned to Akako to confirm, "You _will _give him his clothes back, won't you? I mean…those weren't a crime against fashion or humanity or anything. It was just the ryokan's yukata, right?"

She nodded with a sigh of longsuffering. "Yes, I promise to give you your clothes back after the bath."

"That's not the point!" Saguru griped, balling his hands into fists and stamping his foot like a child having a tantrum.

"You saw…you saw…_everything_!" he cried in complete mortification.

Akako shrugged. "I'm the incarnation of Aphrodite…the daughter of Freya…a goddess of love in my own right. Thus, I'm no stranger to male private parts. I've seen plenty of men's goods, and you don't see _them _crying like babies over it…at least…they weren't crying at the time, but…" She shook her head and gave a sigh of exasperation. "Well, what do you want me to say, Hakuba-kun? Yours are some of the nicest I've seen?"

Hakuba's body turned as red as a matador's cape for the third time that day. "Good God, no!" he shrieked.

"I think he wants you to give him his innocence back," Kaito interpreted helpfully in a hushed tone. "That, or promise to marry him since he's used goods now."

Akako shrugged again and sighed once more for good measure. "Fine. Whatever. If it'll make him stop whining like a kicked Chihuahua. I mean, it's not as if a certain magician-thief wants me. So long as Hakuba-kun is aware that I am, by nature, not a monogamous being. Now, is there any more tomfoolery to attend to or can we get back to the matter at hand?"

She gave both boys a stern look that told them she was fast losing patience. "I do believe Kuroba-kun was just about to tell us why he dresses up in blinding white to steal priceless gems and assist an evil crime syndicate in their target practice sessions."

Kaito grimaced.

"Yes." Saguru gave a start as he remembered. "Yes, you were, weren't you?"

"Ah!" Akako seemed to remember something as well. "Kuroba-kun, stand up!"

Kaito hesitantly obeyed, getting to his feet with a look of suspicion directed at Akako.

"The scars," was the only warning Kaito got before Akako had her hands all over him, touching the old wounds and muttering some strange chant in a language Kaito wasn't so sure was actually a real language. He certainly had never heard it before.

And when she was done, when she took her hands away, the scars went right along with them.

Saguru and Kaito stared in awe as the marks dissipated into thin air.

"Now no one can use the scars as evidence against you. Do you have any more in any less visible locations?"

Kaito shook his head slowly.

"Good. Then you can tell us all about Kid and the Organization now."

"Riiiiight," Kaito replied in a bit of a daze, letting his lips pop as he quickly took mental stock.

He frowned, eyeing the witch with suspicion glowing in the corners of his eyes. "I don't owe you my soul or anything now, do I?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be silly…. I'll take your explanation as payment, so make it good…and brief and to the point too, if possible."

"Okay." Kaito nodded, still trying to get his head on straight. "Okay…so…the original Kid, my dad, was murdered by this big, evil organization, trying to take over the world by…well, many means—many fingers in many pies, you know—but one of them is by obtaining immortality."

Akako and Hakuba blinked in tandem.

Kaito smiled, chuckling sheepishly. "With me so far?"

"You're serious?" Hakuba raised an eyebrow at the thief, no stranger to Kaito's pranks and practical jokes of the past.

"Deathly serious, and so are they. They're looking for something that they think is going to make them live young forever, and they're willing to kill to find it." Kaito's expression darkened. "They've killed before. They're still killing even now."

He shook his head, going back to the story. "It's my job to try to find what they're looking for before they do and destroy it."

"Couldn't the police help with that?" Saguru inquired, trying to think of a better, safer, more legal way.

Kaito grimaced once more. "They'd never believe me if I told them all this. They'd never believe that what I'm looking for actually exists." He looked up and met Saguru's goldenrod gaze with his own. "Hakuba, I don't think you'll even believe that what I'm searching for is really out there."

"Try me," the Brit snorted. "I've seen her fly on a broom before, and I just witnessed her using magic to heal your old scars. Well, more than heal them, dissolve them clean off your skin into thin air. I'm in a believing mood today, so try me."

Kaito closed his eyes, sinking further down into the hot spring. "It's called Pandora. It's a gem inside of a gem that glows red when held up to the light of the full moon. It cries tears of immortality when held up to the full moon when a certain comet passes. Do you believe me?"

Saguru thought very carefully for a moment before he opened his mouth to reply. "I believe that these people believe that it exists. I believe that you want to believe that it exists so that your father didn't die in vain. Whether or not I personally believe in the existence of Pandora is irrelevant. What I believe is that the search has to go on just in case it _is_ out there. Does that satisfy you, Kuroba?"

Kaito looked up at the blonde, blinking. "Yeah," he quietly replied. "Yeah, it does, oddly enough. Thanks, Hakuba."

And then, as a thought occurred to him, Kaito turned to Akako and asked, "So…in your expert supernatural opinion…could Pandora exist? I mean…have you come across anything like this before?"

Akako readily nodded, and Kaito's heart almost burst with joy. "Yes. Throughout history there have always been different stones with powers, protective amulets, cursed amulets… In the healing arts, there are many stones and jewels used for their regenerative properties. Some legendary gems are said to enslave people, bring back the dead, or even grant eternal life. I've never heard of 'Pandora' specifically, but I've heard many stories like it. It's a longshot, but it could be out there, Kuroba-kun…or…at least…something like it."

"Have your really seen these gemstones with powers yourself?" Hakuba inquired, intrigued by the idea of the supernatural now that it had come up behind him and knocked him for a loop. In his newfound enthusiasm, he made the mistake of looking directly at her one second too long.

Akako nodded. "Yes. I have some small, rudimentary stones in my possession."

"I bet you're the most beautiful of them all," Saguru sighed dreamily.

Kaito splashed him in the face with the hot spring water.

"Thank you," Hakuba grumbled reluctantly.

Akako pursed her lips and thought for a moment before reluctantly snapping her fingers.

Saguru blinked.

"I've released you from my spell," she informed.

Saguru blinked again as he got his first good look at her sans the normal haze and warm drowsiness brought on by Akako's spell. He rubbed his eyes and then looked at her once more.

"Hn." He gave a little snort. "You don't look any different…. And why did you release me? I thought you preferred all men to be your love slaves."

She shrugged, crossing her arms and looking away. "It's annoying, your brilliant mind going to mush in the middle of a conversation. Besides, if we're going to be working together, I want you able to function at peak performance all the time, no sudden shut downs just because you accidentally looked at me. It makes me feel like Medusa. Not sexy at all."

"Wait. Working together?!" Kaito broke in, cutting off whatever charming reply Hakuba had had in store for that. "Since when are we going to work together?! You guys are supposed to be in a Brigade working to stop me!"

Hakuba shrugged. "Last time I checked, you were in the same Brigade…and didn't we all swear to help those in need at all times and to be a true friend to our Brigade brothers and sisters?"

"It's in the oath," Akako seconded the motion. "Besides, if we can put an end to Kid in any way, shape, or form, we're duty-bound to do so."

"By becoming Kid's accomplices?" Kaito stared at them like they'd lost their minds and had begun to wear giant fish on their heads as hats.

Hakuba shook his head. "Things are going to have to change a little in order to make Kid's dealings less illegal…less dangerous."

"And what if I say no? What if I refuse to let you guys in on this?" Kaito crossed his arms in front of his chest like a petulant child.

Akako rolled her crimson eyes with a highly amused chuckled. "Then we'll just have to tell Nakamori-san about your night job."

Kaito's mouth dropped open.

Hakuba nodded in support of Akako's proposal. "You see that the lady drives a hard bargain, so let us help, Kuroba."

"I can't put you guys in danger." Kaito shook his head slowly. "I refuse. If something happened and you guys got hurt or…or seriously injured…I can't lose you guys."

"And we don't want to lose you," Saguru stressed. "So we're all going to work together as a Brigade in order to make things the safest they can be for all of us. If all three of us get together and plan…what do you say, Kuroba?"

Kaito closed his eyes and considered it all.

By the end of the night, the Kid Capture Brigade had become a clever front for Kid's own gang of thieves.

…

Mikau: Okay. We all need to turn to KK (kakashikrazy256) and say thank you for this chapter because she's the one that plunnied me to do it with her picture of Kaito taking a bath. I don't know how that image morphed and distorted into the above ridiculousness, but it did, so if you enjoyed this chapter, thank KK for unintentionally inspiring me. You can see the picture in her art thread on Poirot Café in the Fanart section, page three. See you soon guys!


	9. A Visit to the Professor

Mikau: Hello everyone! Thank you for your patience during the wait between chapters, and thank you so much to all of the reviewers from last time: Lady Paper (You know, I never really have any use for Keiko, so I'm not sure that she'll appear here, but I appreciate your suggestion. I'm not quite sure what you mean by "yellow-girl". You mean blonde? Or were you perhaps referring to the colors in their names? Keiko is actually pink from the Momo in her last name, Momoi. Momo is peach. "Ki" would be yellow. The "kei" in Keiko is actually the same kanji used for the name Megumi.), LLL, Kimmiko T, 00Midnight00, neonquincy1217, and Jeina M! Today we also have updates for The Healing Process, Falling in Love Literally, and Just Passing Through. I also have three new ones: an angsty Kid and Conan piece called On a Midsummer Night, another Kid and Conan one titled Let Go and Move On, and an Onmyouji!Shinichi and Hakuba and Spirit Familiar!Kaito fic called Haunted. Here's hoping you enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: If I owned it, the plots would be a lot simpler, for one. I am starting to work on that, though, planning my own murder mystery series. We'll have to wait and see how that turns out. ^.^;

…

Chapter Nine: A Visit to the Professor

"What's this one do?!" Aoko trilled for pretty much literally the thousandth time in the past hour as she picked up yet another invention from the pile (she still hadn't learned her lesson from the twenty times that something had blown up on her when she'd touched it).

"Ah, that one's such an old model," the Professor chuckled in his big, jolly, belly-shaking laugh.

Kaito leaned in and whispered to his coconspirators, "I think that's Santa."

Hakuba was about to put an end to the nonsense by being a royal humbug and denouncing Saint Nick's existence, but Akako cut him off.

"Yeah. I think so," she hummed. "And now we know why he always wears that hat; it's to cover up his receding hairline."

"What do you think he did with his beard?" Kaito wondered out loud.

"Perhaps he has a cloaking device," Akako suggested. "Or it could be a shimmer so that he's not so readily recognizable."

"Or maybe he just shaves the other eleven months of the year," Hakuba scoffed. "Akako-san, do not encourage him. Back to the task at hand, you two."

Kaito grumbled about what a stick in the mud Hakuba was. Or maybe he was commenting upon where Hakuba had a stick stuck. His voice was too low for the others to hear clearly. It was something about a stick, though.

Akako smirked, putting her arm through Hakuba's and squeezing it to her chest. "I like it when you're bossy," she snickered.

Saguru blushed and discretely tried to pull away. "Akako-san, now is not the time or place."

"Then should we go back to your house later?" the redhead pressed, pursuing him as he fled behind Kaito.

"Akako-san, please," Saguru tried to reason with her…all the while trying to keep Kaito between them.

All in all they looked rather silly going round and round the magician like children playing tag.

"But I thought we were engaged?" Akako pretended to pout, delighting in pushing the buttons of her new plaything now that he was no longer under her spell and thus capable of fighting back…futilely, but still. It made the game more fun when he ran from her. It'd been so long since anyone had resisted her…besides Kaito and he was more frustrating than entertaining.

"What?! Since when?!" Hakuba yelped as she almost caught him.

"You know. The onsen when I stole your innocence," she cackled in glee as he ran for the couches, trying to put a bigger buffer in between them.

"Can we please forget that that ever happened?" Hakuba pleaded pitifully as Akako easily (with the help of some levitation magic) hopped over the couch, clearing it with room to spare and forcing him to seek shelter elsewhere.

"But that was one of the best nights of my life! Two hot guys, all naked and alone in the onsen with me? How often does that happen?"

"One time too many!" Saguru wailed.

Meanwhile, all the racket had interrupted Aoko's conversation with the Professor about the inventions, so the Brigade Leader had come over to see what all the fuss was about. Seeing the spectacle of Akako chasing Hakuba, she raised an eyebrow and remarked, "This seems familiar."

"What? You chasing me around?" Kaito snorted half-fondly. "Though, if you ever catch me, you'll just right out beat me to death with a mop or a broom or whatever you have on hand. I think that if Akako-chan ever manages to get her hands on Hakuba, she's going to torture him to death…very, very slowly. Like, fifty plus years' worth of slowly."

Aoko shook her head. "Don't be silly. Akako-chan likes Hakuba-kun."

Kaito raised an eyebrow skeptically at that. "Akako likes attention. It doesn't have to be Hakuba. It just…is."

Aoko tilted her head back and forth in thought as she watched the spectacle. "It's strange, though. Aoko has always thought that Hakuba-kun liked Akako-chan too, but…lately…since everyone got back from the hot spring, things seem to have changed between them…between all of you. Just what happened while Aoko was asleep at the onsen?"

Kaito's gut reaction was to claim that it had been a wild orgy, but somehow he didn't think that that would go over well with Aoko. Instead he shrugged and dodged the question. "Nothing really. Hakuba and I reached an understanding, thank you very much to you and your lock us in the bath without a stitch plan. But other than that…"

Kaito shrugged, changing gears back to marginally safer topics. "Anyway, I think that Hakuba might still like Akako. It's just…he's just trying to reconcile some things about her that he found out recently…. But! I really hope they don't start going out, 'cause that would be weird."

Aoko nodded. "And then Aoko and Kaito would have to start going out, and that would be…wrong." She started to squirm.

Kaito cast her a gauging look and then sighed. "Yeah. Wrong. In more ways than you'll ever know."

Just then, Hakuba rushed back over, using Kaito as a meat shield again. "Will you two stop gawking and help me?!"

With a sigh, Kaito grabbed Akako as she rushed by, securing her in a straightjacket hold. "Now, Akako-chan. People are going to start saying that you're boy crazy if you don't stop chasing poor Hakuba around."

"Oh, but he's so fun to tease," she argued her case playfully.

"Are you going to stop so we can hear all about the Professor's nifty gadgets?" Kaito continued in a parental tone.

"Depends," she snickered. "Are you going to keep holding me if I say no?"

"If you don't stop, I'm going to start ignoring you," he threatened as Aoko looked on with jealousy at someone else holding Akako all intimate like that.

"Fine," Akako pouted and was released from captivity.

Kaito cleared his throat and addressed the scientist. "Now that we're all done acting like kindergarteners, could you please tell us what that…bentou…thing…invention does, Professor?"

"Yes. Please excuse our rudeness." Hakuba bowed deeply in apology.

Akako added her own little bow to that.

The show of remorse seemed to appease the inventor, and he went back to smiling and belly-laughing and showing off his various gadgets.

"_This_," he pronounced the word with much enthusiasm, pride, and undue fanfare. "Is a bentou box phone. About twenty-years ago, before the cell phones like we have today were invented, I made this phone disguised as a bentou so that it could be carried around and used anywhere."

"So…it's a little passé," Kaito mercilessly observed and received a savage elbow in the gut for his trouble.

"Kaito means that it's retro," Aoko corrected. "It's very cool, Agasa-hakase!"

Aoko turned to Akako and Saguru, subtly encouraging them to agree with her glare of death.

"Oh yes!" Saguru chimed in. "Very cool."

"Mmhm!" Akako nodded obediently.

And then Aoko was back to her rummaging through the pile. "What does this one do?!"

"Ah. That—" Again there was much ado and unneeded solemnity. "—is a toaster. It can toast eight slices at once!"

"Who would need eight slices of toast at once?" Kaito mumbled so that only his two accomplices could hear him.

"Maybe the Professor came from a big family," Saguru suggested in an equally hushed tone.

"Well, we should at least try to get some useful gadgets out of him while we're here," Akako sighed, calling out, "Professor! Do you have any gadgets that could pick a lock for me?"

"What do you need something like that for?" Kaito hissed. "I can pick any lock you need me to."

"Well, what if you're unconscious or bleeding out or distracted by female assassins or something?" Akako returned in a quiet snort. "I need to be able to fend for myself.

"How about a gadget that can crack a safe?" Akako added to her wish list.

"I can do that too," Kaito grumbled.

"Same argument," Akako whispered.

"And how about something like an aerosol can of knock out gas?"

This time Hakuba was the one to question her. "Knock out gas? What would you need that for?"

"In case there are some guards I need to knock out," the witch replied matter-of-factly.

"Can't you just…I don't know…use a spell like the one you put on Aoko-kun at the onsen?" Saguru raised an eyebrow at his partner in crime. "Or Kuroba has knockout gas bombs."

"If it's guards you're worried about," Kaito snorted, "Why don't you just use your charms on them?"

Akako rolled her dark burgundy eyes. "What if the guards are female? My love spell would only work if they were lesbian."

Kaito blinked and then stared hard at Akako. "Wait. I thought that your attraction spell had some effect on girls too. It doesn't?"

Akako shook her head, long crimson strands of hair whipping back and forth against both boys' arms as she did so.

"But…" Kaito's brain was about to explode. "Your charm always seemed to at least partially work on Aoko, so…"

His intense stare transformed into a heated glare as Akako turned her head, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Akako, is there something you wanna say to me?" he growled softly so as to avoid attracting the attention of the Professor and the girl whose sexuality was now in question.

"Oooo no," Akako insisted. "I am having nothing to do with this. That is for you and Nakamori-san to figure out."

"B-But…" Kaito whimpered.

Hakuba awkwardly put a comforting hand on his Brigade brother's shoulder as Akako once more raised her voice, calling out, "Professor! Do you, by any chance, have some kind of rig like you see in the movies that art thieves use to descend from the ceiling?"

That day they went home with upgraded Brigade badges; three pairs of virtually invisible, earpiece-style coms; a portable, light-weight, and yet sturdy mop that shut up like a telescope; and the feeling that more than just the secrets about Kid stood in the way of a relationship between Aoko and Kaito.

…

Mikau: So I don't really know when you can expect the next chapter. ^.^; Sorry. I've been in a writing slump the past few months with things getting so busy at work, and now that I'm getting back into the swing of things, I'm mostly just working on The Healing Process, so you can look forward to more chapters of HP, but as for the Brigade… Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I appreciate your patience in the wait for the next one. Take care guys!


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